Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forum
Congratulations to our presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden!
Early (2009) profile on Elizabeth Warren (basketball fan to Treasury watchdog.) Excellent.
By Charles P Pierce.
http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2009/12/20/elizabeth_warren_is_the_bostonian_of_the_year
There are many ways to become our Bostonian of the Year. You could be one of the nations preeminent bankruptcy scholars, and a tenured professor of law at Harvard University, and a talking head for Frontline specials and Michael Moores latest documentary, and a leading voice decrying the human cost of the current economic morass, and the chairwoman of the Congressional Oversight Panel monitoring the Troubled Assets Relief Program, the TARP that covers a multitude of financial sins. The panel keeps an eye on how the nations banks have spent the taxpayer money shoveled into them in the fall of 2008, as well as the destination of the rest of the $700 billion allocated by the government when the economy seemed on the verge of swallowing itself whole. This can set you at odds with secretaries of the Treasury, various ambitious legislators, and laissez-faire economic fundamentalists. Elizabeth Warren has done all that, and has done as much to earn the title Bostonian of the Year as has anyone who was born and raised in Oklahoma. But she has one even more essentially Bostonian accomplishment on her considerable resume -- she once shut up basketball fans in Philadelphia.
One night about two decades ago, she and her husband, Bruce Mann, who also teaches at Harvard Law, were attending a game between the 76ers and Warrens beloved Houston Rockets. (Warren taught at the University of Houston when Hakeem Olajuwon played for a Cougars team memorably dubbed Phi Slama Jama for its dunking prowess.) So Elizabeth is up, cheering, yelling at the ref, Mann recalls. And the crowd around is getting kind of, well, restive. Theyre saying, Hey, lady, youre not from around here, are you? Finally, one of the burlier gentlemen in Warrens section inquired why she was so passionate about the Rockets. Warren explained her background in Houston. He then determined to quiz her on her bona fides.
Who was the coach of that team, he asked her.
Guy V. Lewis, she answered.
What was his trademark, he asked her.
He carried around a checkered towel, she answered.
(Warren was being kind here. Lewiss most conspicuous trademark was his staggering incompetence in big games.)
Satisfied, the man sat down and Warren went back to being loud. Gradually, the crowd began to get audibly impatient with her again. Suddenly, the large gentleman stood up and addressed his colleagues.
Leave the lady alone, he told them. Shes got history.
You can understand that moment when Warren, 60, talks about the political heat inherent in the position she now holds. The great cause of her life has been defending middle-class Americans against what she calls the tricks and traps the nations financial institutions devise to separate those citizens from their money.
One night about two decades ago, she and her husband, Bruce Mann, who also teaches at Harvard Law, were attending a game between the 76ers and Warrens beloved Houston Rockets. (Warren taught at the University of Houston when Hakeem Olajuwon played for a Cougars team memorably dubbed Phi Slama Jama for its dunking prowess.) So Elizabeth is up, cheering, yelling at the ref, Mann recalls. And the crowd around is getting kind of, well, restive. Theyre saying, Hey, lady, youre not from around here, are you? Finally, one of the burlier gentlemen in Warrens section inquired why she was so passionate about the Rockets. Warren explained her background in Houston. He then determined to quiz her on her bona fides.
Who was the coach of that team, he asked her.
Guy V. Lewis, she answered.
What was his trademark, he asked her.
He carried around a checkered towel, she answered.
(Warren was being kind here. Lewiss most conspicuous trademark was his staggering incompetence in big games.)
Satisfied, the man sat down and Warren went back to being loud. Gradually, the crowd began to get audibly impatient with her again. Suddenly, the large gentleman stood up and addressed his colleagues.
Leave the lady alone, he told them. Shes got history.
You can understand that moment when Warren, 60, talks about the political heat inherent in the position she now holds. The great cause of her life has been defending middle-class Americans against what she calls the tricks and traps the nations financial institutions devise to separate those citizens from their money.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
2 replies, 287 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (2)
ReplyReply to this post
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Early (2009) profile on Elizabeth Warren (basketball fan to Treasury watchdog.) Excellent. (Original Post)
sharedvalues
May 2019
OP
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)1. Also
Warren, simply, could not care less. They were tired of me before I started, Warren says with a laugh. I am not looking for jobs with these guys. My job is not to get out there and kowtow to these guys so theyll be nice to me. I figure this is the one time I will have a true public-service job. Im going to do everything I can to execute this job the way it ought to be done. If theres some politician, Republican or Democrat, who has a problem with that, I just dont care.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Response to sharedvalues (Original post)
left-of-center2012 This message was self-deleted by its author.